“Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit
the body lack. We give it orders which make no sense.” ~Henry
Miller
Balance can be defined
as a harmonious state of equilibrium, and it is what we strive for: a balanced lifestyle, a balanced diet and a
balanced emotional state. Dancers need
to add muscular balance to that list.
Our bodies
function best when they are in this harmonious state of equilibrium. Most physical activities, like dance, focus
on certain muscle groups. Unless the
dancer is aware of how the muscular system works, there is potential for
muscular imbalances to occur.
The human body
is built in a balanced manner. Muscles
exist and function in pairs. The
working, or contracting, muscle is the agonist,
and the opposing muscle is the antagonist. As the agonist shortens to pull on the
skeleton, the antagonist must lengthen to allow the movement to occur. When a dancer points his or her foot, the
muscles of the calf contract to pull the heel up toward the knee. The muscles of the shin must relax and
lengthen so the arch of the foot and the toes can move away from the knee. When a dancer flexes his or her foot, the
exact opposite action occurs. The
muscles of the shin contract while the calf muscles lengthen.
When a muscle
group is worked repeatedly, that group grows tighter. If the agonists are not stretched to preserve
flexibility, and the antagonists are not worked equally, a muscular imbalance
occurs. The tighter and stronger muscles
lack necessary flexibility and are at a greater risk of being injured during
activity.
Muscles are
similar to elastics. A thicker shorter
elastic will break sooner than a long thin elastic when it is forcefully
lengthened. A muscle will react
similarly. When a short, tight muscle
must be extended quickly, a muscle strain or tear is more likely to occur.
Additionally,
since our muscles are attached to our skeletons, tighter muscles will pull on
the skeleton at rest, and the weaker, longer muscles will allow it, causing bones
to be put into unnatural positions that cause pain.
While all
dancers need to be concerned about muscular imbalances, ballet dancers are
especially at risk because of the turnout that ballet requires. The muscles that outwardly rotate the leg are
worked constantly in ballet. Quite often,
ballet dancers stand out in a crowd because the external rotators are so tight
that their pedestrian walk resembles a duck walk. The sciatic nerve passes through the group of
external rotator muscles and will get pinched if the muscles are tight, causing
pain. The external rotators connect to the
pelvis and lower vertebrae. When they
are tight, they pull on the pelvis and vertebrae in a way that decreases the
natural curve of the lumbar spine. This
action puts stress on the lumbar-sacral joint and reduces the shock absorption
quality of the spine, causing lower back strain.
Dancers who
work with pointed feet for a majority of the time run the risk of creating an
imbalance in the lower leg. In addition
to working with pointed feet, some dancers allow their heels to “pop up” during
second position grand pliés and do not place their heels down in between jumps
and relevés. Since the heels are
constantly raised, the calf muscles are never lengthened and grow tighter,
while the shin muscles grow weaker. As
this continues, the entire weight of the body is shifted forward, and the body
is forced to compensate for the change in the center of gravity. Additionally, the shortening of the calf
muscles strains the Achilles tendon, which is the tendon that connects these
muscles to the heel. This strain causes
tendon irritation that will result in tendonitis.
These are just
a few of the muscular imbalances that can occur. These imbalances cause the body to compensate
in various ways that alter the skeletal foundation because of the muscular
force exerted upon the bones. The
solution is a simple one that involves stretching the muscles after they are
worked. The strength of the muscles will
not be altered, and the length of the muscles will be preserved. Additionally, dancers can use various forms
of cross training to strengthen all the muscle groups equally. By avoiding muscular imbalances, dancers can
dance efficiently, prevent injuries, avoid pain and lengthen their careers by
preserving their carefully crafted instruments.
